A cow named Veronika in Austria has become the first of her species scientifically documented using tools with deliberate flexibility, prompting researchers to reconsider how we view the cognitive abilities of farm animals. Living as a family pet rather than a production animal, Veronika was observed skillfully manipulating objects – specifically a wooden broom – to scratch various parts of her body.
The Discovery of Intelligent Scratching
The study, published in Current Biology on Monday, details how Veronika doesn’t just use any object to scratch, but chooses the appropriate end of the broom for different areas of her body, demonstrating a level of problem-solving previously unseen in cattle. This behavior is significant because flexible tool use is uncommon across the animal kingdom, typically observed in primates, corvids (crows), and a few marine mammals.
Challenging Long-Held Assumptions
Dr. Alice Auersperg, a cognitive biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and lead author of the study, notes that cows are often stereotyped as unintelligent. “We use them as a synonym for silliness and stupidity,” she explained, referencing a popular Far Side cartoon that satirized the idea of cows inventing tools. The fact that Veronika defies this stereotype is not merely a curious observation, but a direct challenge to our preconceived notions.
Broader Implications for Animal Welfare
The study suggests that livestock animals may possess more complex cognitive abilities than we traditionally acknowledge. This has implications for how we treat farm animals, and raises questions about whether our current practices adequately respect their intelligence and potential for complex behavior. The findings encourage a shift toward more nuanced evaluations of animal cognition across species, especially those most frequently exploited for human use.
Veronika’s behavior is a reminder that intelligence isn’t limited to certain species, and that even animals we’ve long underestimated may be capable of surprising cognitive feats. This discovery should encourage further research into the mental lives of farm animals, and a more humane approach to their treatment.
